Russia to remain suspended from international athletics

7th March 2018

The IAAF council has agreed to maintain the suspension of Russia from international athletics after an IAAF taskforce, chaired by Rune Anderson, advised that because the country had "still not acknowledged the institutional doping scheme [that was] uncovered", there can be "no comfort it will not be repeated".

The IAAF first banned Russia in November 2015 over evidence of state-sponsored doping. After having failed to meet reforms set out by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) by the target date of November 2017 the sport's governing body now says that it could permanently exclude the country if key doping reforms are not met soon. IAAF president Lord Coe said that the threat is there "because we want this situation resolved".

The IAAF says many requirements, all of which were agreed with the Russian fereration, have still not been met. Russia has repeatedly denied running a state-sponsored doping programme.